The movie ‘Official Secrets’ released in 2019 is based on a real-life story of a British lady named Katharine Gun who exposed some confidential information related to illegal spy operations. The film directed by Gavin Hood features Keira Knightley, Matt Smith, and Matthew Goode as the principal cast. This section offers information on where the film was shot and some backstage tidbits.
Where it Filmed?
Official Secrets’ was filmed at various locations in the UK. Some scenes were captured at Thurstaston Beach in Wirral, Merseyside, England while others got shot in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Places such as St George’s Hall in Liverpool, Otley Police Station in Otley, and County Sessions House in Liverpool were also among the shooting spots. The filming began on March 12, 2018.
Cast Details
| Cast Name | Role |
|---|---|
| Keira Knightley | Katharine Gun |
| Matt Smith | Martin Bright |
| Matthew Goode | Peter Beaumont |
| Rhys Ifans | Ed Vulliamy |
| Adam Bakri | Yasar Gun |
| Ralph Fiennes | Ben Emmerson |
| Conleth Hill | Roger Alton |
| Indira Varma | Shami Chakrabarti |
| Jeremy Northam | Ken Macdonald |
| John Heffernan | James Welch |
| Monica Dolan | Fiona Bygate |
| Tamsin Greig | Elizabeth Wilmshurst |
| Niccy Lin | Mi-Yung |
| Jack Farthing | Andy Dumfries |
| Gabrielle Downey | Mrs. Archer |
| Fiona Skinner | Policewoman |
| Lindy Whiteford | Edie Rielly |
| Ray Panthaki | Kamal Ahmed |
| Janie Dee | Jan Clements |
| Hattie Morahan | Yvonne Ridley |
| Will Barton | Paul Beaver |
| Katherine Kelly | Jacqueline / MI6 Agent |
| Raad Rawi | Mel |
| Clive Francis | Rear-Admiral Nick Wilkinson |
| Martin Bright | Male Journalist |
| Vanessa Thorpe | Female Journalist |
| Hanako Footman | Nicole Mowbray |
| Shaun Dooley | John Internal Security |
| Sophie Duval | Female Custody Sergeant |
| Stuart Ramsay | Police Officer |
| Peter Guinness | TinTin / Scotland Yard |
| Chris Reilly | Jerry / Scotland Yard |
| Jodie McNee | Duty Solicitor |
| David Maybrick | Officer Pitt |
| Simon Rogers | Officer Knowles |
| Raquel Cassidy | Anne Emmerson |
| Corinna Wilson | Young Romanian Girl |
| Brett Allen | Duty Officer |
| Chris Larkin | Nigel Jones |
| Patrick Moy | Driver |
| Vinta Morgan | BBC Reporter |
| Jessica Fostekew | Courtroom Guard |
| Michael James | Clerk of the Court |
| Kenneth Cranham | Judge Hyam |
| Angus Wright | Mark Ellison |
| Neilesh Ambu | GCHQ Colleague (uncredited) |
| Manoj Anand | Arrested Airport Detainee (uncredited) |
| Rodrig Andrisan | Dead Body 4 (uncredited) |
| Raj Awasti | Airport Detainee (uncredited) |
| Antony Barlow | GCHQ Colleague (uncredited) |
| Paul Blackwell | Police Officer (uncredited) |
| Tony Blair | Self (uncredited) (archiveFootage) |
| George W. Bush | Self (uncredited) (archiveFootage) |
| Lee Byford | Ground Crew (uncredited) |
| Shafi Choudhury | Arrested Airport Detainee (uncredited) |
| Rene Costa | Iraqi Protestor (uncredited) |
| Grant Crookes | GCHQ Security / Police (uncredited) |
| Darrell D’Silva | Chilean Ambassador (uncredited) |
| Adam Darlington | Journalist (uncredited) |
| Gary Davies | Press / Court Reporter (uncredited) |
| Mark Anthony Dawson | Analyst (uncredited) |
| Ari Fleischer | Self – White House Press Secretary (uncredited) (archiveFootage) |
| David Frost | Self (uncredited) (archiveFootage) |
| Katharine Gun | Self (uncredited) (archiveFootage) |
| Anthony G Hamer | Passerby (uncredited) |
| Jane Hamer | Observer Journalist (uncredited) |
| Juliet Hartley | Observer Journalist (uncredited) |
| Tony Holness | Newspaper Reporter (uncredited) |
| Daniel Hopkins | Newspaper Reporter (uncredited) |
| Mark Hugh-Williams | Prosecutor (uncredited) |
| Joanne James | Home Office Official Doncaster Airport (uncredited) |
| Jess Kaur | Press Fashion Newspaper Reporter (uncredited) |
| Craig Thomas Lambert | Police Officer (uncredited) |
| Colin Murtagh | Police Officer (uncredited) |
| Anneliese Orr | Observer Journalist (uncredited) |
| T. Mark Owens | News 29 Reporter (uncredited) |
| Tina Louise Owens | Public Gallery Court Member (uncredited) |
| Jayne Michele Pacitto | Court Guard (uncredited) |
| Shayast Panezai | Noorie Patel (uncredited) |
| Mark Phillips | Airport Ground Crew (uncredited) |
| Colin Powell | Self (uncredited) (archiveFootage) |
| Mark Preston | Desk Sergeant (uncredited) |
| Paul Redfern | Catherine Gun’s Father (uncredited) |
| Jatinder Rehal | Iraqi Trauma Nurse (uncredited) |
| Nig Richards | Observer Journalist (uncredited) |
| John Alan Roberts | Arrested Airport Detainee (uncredited) |
| Bianca Rudman | Arresting Police Officer (uncredited) |
| Frank Saul | Airport Detective (uncredited) |
| Mansoor Shah | Arrested Airport Detainee (uncredited) |
| Atul Sharma | Airport Detainee (uncredited) |
| Dave Simon | Public Gallery Court Member (uncredited) |
| Nicola Simonds | Family Member (uncredited) |
| William Thirlaway | Office Worker (uncredited) |
| Kieran Thomas | GCHQ Colleague (uncredited) |
| Lora Thomsen | Office Worker (uncredited) |
| Naomi Tuzolana | Passerby (uncredited) |
| Tim Walker | Journalist (uncredited) |
| Trevor Walton | Security Officer (uncredited) |
| Martin Webbe | Police Van Driver (uncredited) |
| Jo Wheatley | GCHQ Security Officer (uncredited) |
| Iain Wilkie | Observer Journalist (uncredited) |
| John James Woodward | Cafe Patron (uncredited) |
Trivia and Facts
- The movie tells the true tale of Katharine Gun, a British whistleblower.
- It narrates how she leaked critical data about an unlawful NSA spy operation.
- The covert operation was intended to coerce the UN Security Council into approving the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
- The movie provides an in-depth portrayal of the event, giving viewers a realistic sense of the situation.
- It has been honored with 5 wins and 16 nominations for various awards.
Geo Location Details
- Location Name: Thurstaston Beach, Wirral, Merseyside, England, UK
- Latitude: 53.3374975
- Longitude: -3.1426692
- Place ID: ChIJe-gqCs7XekgRBjgUXQVFekg
- Map Link: Google Map
- Place Address: Thurstaston Beach, Thurstaston CH61 0HN, UK
- Timezone: Europe/London
- Location Name: Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, UK
- Latitude: 53.8007554
- Longitude: -1.5490774
- Place ID: ChIJmb1k2ko-eUgRqdwTAv26rVE
- Map Link: Google Map
- Place Address: Leeds, UK
- Timezone: Europe/London
- Location Name: Otley Police Station, Otley, West Yorkshire, England, UK
- Latitude: 53.907452
- Longitude: -1.6946934
- Place ID: ChIJ7_DlIjf9e0gRtv3o6XB1Al4
- Map Link: Google Map
- Place Address: 6 Bridge St, Otley LS21 3AZ, UK
- Timezone: Europe/London
- Location Name: County Sessions House, Liverpool, Merseyside, England, UK
- Latitude: 53.41015700000001
- Longitude: -2.9789454
- Place ID: ChIJG7JeeDshe0gRltEvvA4O5XA
- Map Link: Google Map
- Place Address: County Sessions House, Liverpool L3 8EL, UK
- Timezone: Europe/London
